About Instructors

Customer Reviews

Santiago de Compostela,, GALICIA, SPAIN5 Stars

Congratulations to Jami and Jose because they have got a beautiful and contemporary ?Encyclopedia of Latin dance?. I am sure that this dvd series will be the reference for dancers, instructors, and so on. I also congratulate to Dancevision because the new presentation of the dvds is very nice for people loves dancing.

Nowadays the modern on 2 (Eddie Torres styling), based on dancing with the break in the two isolated beats of clave cubana, is being popular between not only professional but even social dancers. There are several very good videos by excellent instructors (look for new york style, here) and I think that the Jami and Jose dvd series put order in the storm of all these beautiful turn patterns and will be a great help to get understand them with a clear and precise technique.

Here is my detailed review:

1) Jami and Jose work provides a classification of salsa steps in bronze, silver and gold that allows to improve since any level you are dancing salsa. Although I feel that Eddie Torres Videos are going on being the best way to get confidence with the basics. This syllabus series is useful like instructional material for both social and ameteur or professional dancer, too.

2) The first dvd (bronze) begins with an introduction to timing I consider the best I have seen yet. Like a musician I think that for people even knowing nothing about musical language, Jami provides a very good understanding about dancing on 1 and on 2. The best way is to demostrate it on the floor dance, and this is what they actually do showing with a clear way how the musical beats of tumbao or clave cubana correspond to the beats in the rhytmic base. Moreover, I like the clave step they show..., something that I have never seen yet.

3) The introduction to basics and turns are in according to a syllabus dvd. Since this is a syllabus collection, I mean that people learning something new might get confidence with basics in Eddie Torres nightclub style videos. Then one can, perfectly, consider this dvds like instructional dvds too. In fact:

4) Firstly, basic modern on2 step has a little diference with basic Eddie's step. The longer 5-beat and 1-beat in relation to the regular basic step gives a cool movement I like very much. Second, The most important step in salsa is: Cross body lead (CBL). This is the first time I have seen this step perfectly explained, showing the action ?cross-body? like it is really. That is, most of instructors explain, and most of dancers performance, this step like a ?·walk lead?. The excellent knowledge of lead and follow by Jami and Jose allows to get the original feeling of this step, between a promenade step and the cuban ?Dile que no?. I would say that the precise and clear demostration of Jose about the lead action ?cross body? and Jami?s follow action, is a masterly lesson. Look the posture in the last demostration!

5) Going on this viewpoint, Jami explains difficult concepts and actions like : spoting and pivot turns... There are a lot of forms to turn. I think that the easier way is the pivot action: ?turning in front-turning back-turning in front?, because it become fulfilled by social dancers but with a correct technique to be hold in professional level.

6) The silver dvd put emphasis around the figures starting with or based on CBL.. They introduce Copa too. I have learned a lot with the performance of classic mambo step: ?overturned cross body lead?. This useful step was popular thanks to Angel Rodríguez (Mr. Razzm?tazz). He created a lot of beautiful turn patterns in classic mambo. Jami and Jose will show in the Open combinations dvd how much useful this step is going on to be, nowadaya. HOWEVER, I think that the Waltz version of CBL offers a lot of improvements for turn patterns in the modern on2 and this step will be the center of new and beautiful combinations comming soon from salsa dancers.

7) Dancers knowing and learning on the learn2salsa videos series (Jami and Roland Valentino) will appreciate the evolution of several figures up to this syllabus dvd. You will find examples I have enjoied a lot, like ?cruciffix? (a simple previous zigzag grows the feeling of criciffix moment), ?the ballerina?? I like very much the ?catch the back variation?, something as simple as difficult. Please, take care with the style in the lead action. The male dancer will find a lot of style actions in Jose DeCamps following the philosophy ?to have a reason to do a style action?. Bravo, Jose!. This ?catch the back variation? will be a cool feeling in your salsa.

8) Gold dvd put emphais on Copa?s and Hammerlock?s figures. The comfortable to do triple and cuadruple turns when you dance on the modern on 2 is showed. In any case, Jami even offers options for the social dancer, something important in a not coreographic dancing.

9) I was happily surprised again with the evolution of figures from learn2salsa videos like: Raul wrap and back spot with back roll. You also will find a precise lead and follow of figures like Copa back to back and Copa to Belly wrap. I have seen to performance these steps by other dancers with an intrincate technique. Here, Jami and Jose got a clearer and easier breakdown by using a truly lead and follow technique where the inertial moment of her is taken by the leader to get the performance.

10) Finally Salsa Open Combinations dvd is the best complement to this syllabus dvd. Even I celebrate this idea by a lot of reasons: an example of excellent comunication with other professional dancers to imitate. Remember: dancing is the expontaneous action of our emotions. All the combinations in this dvd are performanced truly with a very lead and follow technique. Besides to teach turn patterns with a lot of creativity, you will get to do it with practice thanks to the teaching of syllabus dvd. BUT, even I am sure you will enjoy watching beautiful combinations like : ?Neck roll copa to Ballerina?. Again, in the inertial moment in the neck roll you can enjoy with the ballace of style and technique. I have to say that my favourite is ?Back to back with kick to Tango Jump?. The ballance of style and technique in this pattern is perfect. The jump moment is a masterly moment, a moment where ? the style is technique and the technique is style?. I think that this is the phrase for Jami and Jose. My wife Leli and I loved the Tango step since learn2salsa videos, and the sequence ?cross theck to fun and Tango jump? was a styling point for us (thankx of heart, Jami!).

11) I would like to say something taking the step Jose special as reference. All people knowing Jami and Jose have admired and enjoied with their performances. The ballance, energy and sensibility to dance cha-cha was our particular admiration. Every persson has a concept of dancing. Persoally I enjoy if I am able to get my wife (the female dancer) shines. This is difficult to get and for this reason we admire Jami and Jose. For getting this action they are the best reference. However, after a turn pattern where all the eyes look the female dancer one needs a surprise action where the male dancer shows his abilities like a dancer and a leader. I have found this in Jose special step.

12) The Shine patterns dvds are very useful. First of all, I like the breakdown. I have found a lot of help to understand better and improve beautiful shines of other professional dancers. Spiral kick wth turn step was one of them!, but you will find art shines: two and four cornes, for example? even Braid step that I have learnt in Eddie?s course has a new cool here. Since I have improved even from the easier shines, I would have to put a nice word for every shine, so? it is better you enjoy them.

13) CONCLUSION :I have purchased a lot of dvds about salsa and other dances. When I find a well done job, the first I think is one cannot pay with money that beautiful generosity and effort. I think this is whah you will find in this work and it will be a continuous reference for your improvements on dancing. But, most important for us, it is that You will learn a lot, not only with the teaching, This is great, but from the spontaneous human relation between them when they teach too. BRAVO y GRACIAS!,

Dear Jami, thank you, thank you, thank you!
What a beautiful and very useful work both of you have done!!!
The DVDs midday arrived yesterday and our afternoon training session was dedicated to watching the Bronze, Silver & Gold Syllabus. THE BEST we have seen.

We are overjoyed; this is the modern Encyclopedia of
Latin Dance (like the classic videos of Razz? m 'Tazz).

You had a lot of new material; but the most important thing is that
You both explained, in detail, the Modern on2.

We liked the explanations of the movement in the Cross Body
Lead, because you add something cool between the regular CBL done
by most of dancers (even on 2) and the "dile que no" of Rueda. It?s a
very nice movement.

We also enjoyed the new version of the Raul Wrap. Actually the entire
series of Copa is great. The Overturned Turn is fantastic. Personally,
I am going to learn a lot from Jose's movements. Jose DeCamps has a lot to teach male dancers with the most elegant style I have seen.

I cannot forget to mention the music for this series. We have to get it for our training.

THANKS VERY MUCH TO BOTH OF YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL WORK
AND YOUR LOVE FOR TEACHING.

Manuel and Leli
Galicia, Spain

jersey city, nj5 Stars

Congratulations to Jami and Jose!!! And thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise in the dance. For sure this will be one of my most precious possession. Keep up the good work guys.

Arnold, Maryland5 Stars

I must say that as a beginning dancer there is nothing like DVD's to learn from. Geesh.... Just repeat and repeat until you memorize the step. Stop, go slow...do what you need to do. I often get the moves pretty well in a class but later forget what I did. With the DVD's you just repeat until you can't forget. That is of course what you need to be a good dancer - A good memory! I often end up learning the female's moves just so I can teach my partner her steps. Besides that ... These guys are very good teachers. They teach beautiful style and exact steps in equal measure. They are a lot of fun to watch! Keep going when you start...it all becomes clear later in the set when they go over the steps again and again and incorporate all those beginning moves into very step... I am very pleased with my purchses -- it's perfect to learn with and I get so much more from live classes when I already mostly know what to do. Yeah Jami and Jose!! THANKS!!

Xinging, China5 Stars

Hi Jami,

I happened to buy a set of your salsa instructional video tapes from DanceVision 7 years ago and fell in love with you and Jose.

I was the new mother trapped at home with my young daughter and I just started to learn salsa so I was looking for every instructional DVD or video tape that I could find then. So maybe I have the most complete collection of all the salsa DVDs on the market, but I wasn't happy with what I had got since a lot of them taught only on "1" until I found your new collections on both "1" and "2" so I bought them all from DanceVision! I completely trust you and Jose for your solid training in dancing and your flair in salsa presentation.

Fabio, Salsa Is Good5 Stars

In salsa, as in tango, swing, rock?n?roll, etc, people tend to look at ballroom dancers with a bit of suspicion: they admire their technique but they often find it hard to share the dance interpretation. If you are one of those dancers you may look at this series from Jami and Jose with similar suspicion and by doing so, you may miss out on a little treasure, because I believe these DVDs are real value. Jami is a great dancer and a great teacher, with both ballroom background and very extensive salsa experience, she has mingled for years with all salsa masters, from all schools, and brings to us her salsa knowledge strengthened rather than diluted but her ballroom technique.

What I find most valuable for these DVDs is the neutral and objective way in which Jami analyses the different salsa styles in fashion today (LA, NY and old school mambo) and the way she presents and combines the elements of the different styles and the options you have: rather than being presented a mix of everything with no particular structure and knowledge, you will know what you do, why you do it and where it comes from.

The other part of the treasure, a real treasure, is Jose and Jami?s choice of turn patterns, taken, with due professional acknowledgements, from many of the salsa stars we all admire: you will be taught turn patterns from Edie Torres, Thomas from Santorico, SuperMario, Jai, Mario B, Edie and Al, just to name a few.. and they surely chose among the best turn patterns from each. Add to this that the teaching is spot on, both on2 and on1, with clear details on both leading and following, armwork and footwork, with no economy of material and time length, and you are left to ask what more you would possibly want from a DVD.

Buyer's Guide

Shipping

Our warehouse is fully stocked, allowing us to ship anywhere in the world, within 24 hours of your order. Orders received on Saturday or Sunday will be shipped the following Monday.

Key

Standard Shipping Method

ADD

Additional Shipping Charges

NA

Not Available

Shipping Policies

Shipping prices vary depending on the merchandise and the region to which they are shipped. FedEx cannot ship to any PO Boxes or FPO/APO. We use U.S. Mail or Priority Mail to PO Boxes or FPO/APO. Orders to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam & Puerto Rico will be sent by Priority or U.S. Mail - FedEx is available at an additional charge.

Canadian Customers - Orders shipped to Canada by Air Mail cannot be tracked. We have a 30 day wait policy before reshipping an order to Canada that has not been received via Air Mail.

Order Process

All orders received after 12 noon Pacific Standard Time - USA will be processed and shipped the following business day. All orders received on Saturday and Sunday will be processed on Monday.

Customs and Import Information

You may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are levied once the package reaches your country. Additional charges for customs clearance must be borne by you; we have no control over these charges and cannot predict what they may be. Customs policies vary widely from country to country; you should contact your local customs office for further information.

DVDs, Videos, CDs, Books, Manuals & Accessories Return Policies

Please order with care. We are unable to accept returns or make exchanges on any DVDs, Video tapes, CDs or any merchandise except: 1) If an item is received in a damaged condition, or 2) If there is an error in an order on our part. (Items must be returned within fourteen days of delivery for replacement as ordered.) For defective tapes: First, please check the tracking system on your VCR. Then try another tape to see if the same problem occurs. If at that time you discover the problem is only apparent with our video, please give us a call at our toll free phone number and we will be happy to take care of the problem.

You must call us at 800-851-2813 for a return authorization.

Instantly watch the full DVD in digital format. Your online media is stored in your video Library and can be accessed from any device (computer, phone, IPad, etc.) by logging into your Dance Vision Internet account.

Watch online only

Does not qualify

Instantly watch the full DVD in digital format. Your online media is stored in your video Library and can be accessed from any device (computer, phone, IPad, etc.) by logging into your Dance Vision Internet account.

Purchase individual steps and watch them online instantly. Learn as you go or brush up on a figure you may have forgotten. Your online media is stored in your video Library and can be accessed from any device (computer, phone, IPad, etc.) by logging into your Dance Vision Internet account.